


Test day

by DmitriMolotov



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Comfort, Early days in the facility, Fluff, Maximum Ride FAHC AU, One Shot, and winged hybrids, so the boys are kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 16:44:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10903377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DmitriMolotov/pseuds/DmitriMolotov
Summary: Michael spent his entire life in the facility under the ever-watching eye of the whitecoats. His only comfort was that he wasn't alone. He had always had Gavin. But today was Test day; Gavin was on his own. And Michael was terrified.





	Test day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GnT](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GnT/gifts).



> Just a little cute thing. Happy birthday sis...

Test day.

Test days were the worst.

You never knew if you’d meet their expectations… never knew what they were expecting to begin with, but it was always nerve-wracking. The consequences of not passing your tests could be as simple as a cross in a box, a disappointed look over a clipboard, or sometimes… Michael didn’t want to think about it.

He’d already passed all his tests. He was rewarded with a warm supper and sent back to bed with an extra blanket. They promised him he’d get his clothes back in the morning. For now the open-backed surgical gown – the standard uniform of test day – would have to do.

His muscles ached dully from exertion. Test day always did that. He rubbed the spot on his arm where they’d taken blood. Last time it had left him with dark splotchy bruises that had taken weeks to fade. It didn’t hurt so much this time. Or maybe he was just getting used to it.

He was eleven now, at least, that’s what the whitecoat’s papers had said. He wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but he knew that test days started when you reached ten. He knew that because it was Gavin’s first time being ten and it was his first test day.

But Gavin wasn’t back yet.

They’d been called out together. They did everything in pairs. They had been together since Michael could remember. The whitecoats didn’t like to separate them. Whenever it was brought up, it was always talked about in sentences with words like “anxiety”, “unethical”, “regulations”, “protocols.” Michael knew there were others in the facility. At night sometimes they could hear a voice in their heads; the voice of a boy who called himself Ryan. A boy who was like them. He told stories about another boy who had escaped. Ryan talked about getting out of this place. Of not doing what the whitecoats told them to do. Of how to stand up to them.

Michael wanted to stand up to them. But he had to think of Gavin. He had to look out for him.

But today he couldn’t do that.

Test day; Gavin was on his own. He would have to pass the tests alone. And Michael was terrified.

If he failed… he might not come back.

Michael extended his wings as much as the cramped space of their room - really, it was a _cell_ \- would allow and wrapped them around himself, running his hands over the dark feathers. The whitecoats said soon he’d have to start flight tests. He’d seen videos of creatures called birds flying. They had wings like him, but they weren’t like him. There were no creatures like him. Not outside the facility anyway.

He was scared his wings wouldn’t carry him. They always seemed so small compared to Gavin’s. What he wouldn’t give to be wrapped in Gavin’s soft mottled cream and brown wings right now, instead of worrying about him.

He threw the blanket down and sat down on the edge of Gavin’s bunk, tucking his knees up under his chin and pressing his hands over his face.

_Gavin, please be ok._

~

Michael awoke to the feeling of one of his wings being gently lifted up and pushed back. He’d fallen asleep on Gavin’s bunk waiting for him, outstretched on his side and wrapped in the sleek feathers of his wings. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and blinked a few times. He could just make out the slight silhouette of Gavin in the darkness.

“Gavin?”

Gavin slid into bed next to Michael, gently pulling his wing back down over both of them and folding his own softer ones around himself protectively. He felt smaller than usual somehow and he shook as he curled in closer to Michael.

“Gavin, are you ok?”

 Gavin pressed his face against Michael’s chest. Michael could feel the wet of his tears through the thin fabric of the gown. He’d been crying.

“It’s ok Gav, it’s over. You’re ok. I’ve got you, boi. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

He wrapped his arms around Gavin tightly and pulled him into himself, stroking his hair gently as Gavin sniffled against his chest.

“Michael?” Gavin sniffed quietly, “I don’t like test days…”

Michael held him tighter and pressed his lips to Gavin’s head.

“One day… One day soon; we’re going to get out of this place.”

_“I’m glad you’ve finally come around.”_ Ryan’s voice in their heads startled them both. _“How does tomorrow sound?”_

Michael looked down at Gavin, quivering in his arms. Gavin looked up to Michael, eyes still wet with tears and shimmering, but burning with hope and determination. He gave the slightest of nods.

Michael swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Just tell us what we have to do.”

 

* * *

_Five years later..._

 

Michael’s blood pumped hot through his veins, his heart pounded in his chest and his lungs burned, but he ran; bare feet pounding the earth, barely grazing the leaves, twigs and pine needles of the forest floor as he deftly dodged around trees and branches and leapt over fallen logs. A rocky outcrop ahead signalled his destination, he burst into the open space and scurried over the rocks, putting as much distance as he could between himself and his pursuer, nearly skidding to a stop as he reached the ledge, leaning out to see the steep drop to sharp rocks below. The sound of footsteps behind him cemented his decision. He jumped, throwing himself into the void, the air rushing past him, his stomach dropping as the pull of gravity took hold.  

He let himself fall a little way before unfurling his wings and catching the air, slowing his descent to a near dead-stop right before the rocks below. He pulled up and flapped hard, maintaining some of the momentum as he built altitude, constantly scanning the sky around him for any signs of danger. He flew back around to where he’d leapt, but there was no sign of anyone there. He breathed a sigh of relief, allowing himself to relax slightly as he lazily looped back around to the forest.

He let out a quiet, giddy laugh. He’d gotten away with it…

Suddenly a chill ran down his spine as a shadow crossed his path and he glanced up just as a pair of hands grabbed his waist, pulling him down into a tackle, rolling him onto his back before letting him go. He scrambled to regain control before his hit the earth, only just managing to right himself to fall feet-first onto the ground in a heap.

A pleased-sounding squawk and fit of giggles followed him to the ground and Gavin landed neatly beside him, his wings catching the golden rays of the setting sun, fully outstretched and deadly silent as he folded them in against his back.

“Tag! I win,” Gavin proclaimed proudly, grinning wide at Michael as he dusted himself off and climbed back to his feet.

“Dammit!” Michael cursed, “I thought I’d lost you for sure in that dive…”

“You might be fast, Michael boi, but I’m more stealthy.”

Michael grinned, “It’s be better if you weren’t such a klutz.” He gave Gavin a playful shove and he nearly tripped over his own feet trying to stay upright, just proving Michael’s point. “Besides, you nearly killed me.”

“I did not!”

“Suuure…” Michael tried to sound indignant, but the way he was grinning at Gavin betrayed how he truly felt.

The sky was getting darker and the golden sun was gradually fading, painting the clouds pink and purple and turning the forest into black silhouettes.

Michael sighed, “I s’pose we’d better get back before it gets dark. Ryan and Jack will be wondering where we got to.”

“Pfft, none of their business what we get up to…”

_“It sorta is.”_ Ryan’s voice in their heads interrupted them.

Gavin nearly jumped out of his skin. “Geez Ryan, how do you always _do_ that?”

_“I’m always listening.”_

“No you’re not!” Michael challenged.

_“Alright, but I’ve got really good timing... Get your butts back here, Jack’s made dinner.”_

Michael and Gavin exchanged a look, both rolling their eyes, but they started towards home, stretching out their wings to prepare to fly back to their cabin deep in the Paleto forest in the shadow of Mt Chiliad.

Michael took a quick run up, unfurling his wings and flapping hard to get airborne, glancing over his shoulder to see Gavin rise from just a walk with a couple of beats of his wings. He felt a pang of jealousy at how easily flying had come to Gavin, but he was glad he knew he could take care of himself if it came to it. Even years later, they were never apart and Michael swore he would always be there for Gavin.

True to his word, Ryan had gotten them out of the facility. Four of them had escaped, although Michael now knew there had been others. Not like them. Younger. Too young to go with them, and different. Not winged. Something else. Something dangerous.

Ryan was still determined to go back for them. To put an end to the facility’s experiments once and for all. But they had to wait. And they had to be ready.

Michael was just happy to be free with Gavin. They had a makeshift family. Him and Gavin and Ryan and Jack. Jack was nice. Jack looked after them. Ryan did too, but he was more interested in finding others, in getting revenge. The facility had done bad things to him. He was clever though. Michael trusted him. But mostly, Michael was happy. He was happy he had Gavin.

He hit a warm current of air and rode it upwards, Gavin soaring effortlessly next to him, hugging close to the tree-line so as not to be spotted. Nothing was better than flying. When they were flying, they were free.

Michael glanced over and smiled at Gavin, extending a hand in his direction. Gavin smiled back and moved closer, taking his hand and squeezing it. They didn’t say anything. They didn’t need to.

That night they fell asleep as they always did; the same as they had since that night after Gavin’s first test day. Wrapped in each other’s arms and wings; Gavin’s head against Michael’s chest, Michael resting his cheek against Gavin’s hair. Gavin was taller than Michael now, they twisted their legs together and Gavin's feet always stuck out of the blanket. He didn't seem to mind. 

"Gavin?" Michael ventured, quietly murmuring to the top of Gavin's head as both their eyes drooped shut.

"Mmm?"

Michael planted a gentle kiss atop Gavin's head.

"You're my boi."

"Mhmm... you're my boi too, Michael. Love you, boi."

Michael smiled and pulled Gavin closer.

"Love you too, Gav."

They felt safe.

They had each other and that was all that mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> More of this AU on [Tumblr](https://dmitrimolotov.tumblr.com/tagged/maximum-ride-FAHC).


End file.
